Timer and distributer.



D; E MOULTON.

TIMER AND DISTRIBUTER.

INVENTOI? Moulfon WITNESSES A TTOR/VEYS THE CdLumBlA PLmgouRAPH c0., WASHIN uuuuuuu c.

- Df Ed c1.

exer Bywar I D STATES PATENT OFFICQ DEXTER EDWARD. oUL'ron, orfrIERnEQ SOUTH DAKO A.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DEXTER EDWAnn lVIouL'roN, a citizen of the 'United States,. and a residentof Pierre, in the county of Hughes and Stateof South Dakota, have invented a new and Improved Timer and Distributer, of" which the. following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Myinvention relates, to timers and dis 'tributers and has for its object the provision of a simple, compact, efiicient and inexpensive device the parts of which are so related that the same can be easily inspected.

or cleaned when necessary and the relation of which'lparts is such that they require little attention, andthe same are self-adjustable. r y W ith-the above andother objects in view,

the nature: of which willmore fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists-in the novel construction, combination' and arrangement of parts as herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

1 In the accompanying drawings, forming part of the application, similar characters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews. I

i Figure 1" is an ,Fig. 2-is a vertical section thereof; Fig. 3

isahorizontal.sectioneon line 3. 3, Fig.2;

elevation of my device;

Fig. 4 is a similar section on line 44:, Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is-a perspective view of the timer; and Fig. 6,.that of the distributer.

{Referring to. the drawings, 7 represents the driving shaft. Fitting over one end of the shaft is an .insulated sleeve 8 of con- .densite; Said sleeve 8 is provided with a closed end 9 which rests on thesaid end of' V the shaft. Adjacent the open end, the sleeve are fitted 'metallic' contacts 11 extending from the lateralsurface through the sleeve 8 is provided with a collar 10 into which "itocontact with the shaft 7. Said contacts 11 aresymmetrically disposed on the lateral surface of the collar 10. There are four of said contacts and they are at rightangles .to each other, as can best be seen in Fig. 4;.

12 keys the. sleeveS to the shaft 7 Anflinsulating, frustocone-shaped member 13 has a central, cylindrical recess which receives the closed end of the'sleev'e' 8. A groove 14 is provided in the closed end 9 of the sleeve 8 which registers with alining openings. 15:.provided in the frustoconeshaped member .-13. A pin '16 keys the sleev t th 21 1 5 T e t ral. r-

TIMER em) nrs'rnnau'rnn.

Specification of Letters Patent. t t e gg g application filed A rn a, 1915. Serial No. 18,961.

face of the frustocone-shaped member 13 ,carrles a metallic contact strip 17 which has a portion 18 thereof located in the smaller base of the member13 and extending to the center of the same. The sleeve 8 carries a ring 19 located between the collar 10 and the member 13. This. ring. constitutesa spacer and also a'locking for the pin 12.

Covering the above-described structure is a dome 20 which comprises a frustoconeshaped recess21 of similar'convergency as the frustocone-shaped member 13, so that a snug fit th'erebetween is obtained. The cone shaped recess terminates with a cylindrical recess 22 of a diameter sufficiently large to accommodate between the collar and the r wall of the recess a swinging ar1n23. One

end of the arm is pivotally mounted within shaped, while the lower part is cylindrical.

Mounted in the top of the dome and in a connection with the secondary wire from the coil. This binding .post has an interior flange 28 engaging the portion 18 of the metallic strip 17 with which it is main-- tained in contact by a. resilient member 32. Contactp'oints 20 are provided in the frustocone-shaped recess2l of the, dome 20. The annular distance between the said contacts is 90. The exterior surface of the dome metallic strip 17'when the frustocone-shaped member 13 is rotated through the medium of the shaft 7. Thedome 20 is prevented from rotation during the rotation of the shaft? .by its connection with means for controlling the dome on the frustocone shaped member'13, which means, although not shown in the drawings, are adapted to be connected to an extension 31 provided on the dome,-.as shown in Figs. ,1, 2 and 3.

V the axisthereof is a binding post 27 to form I loo The dome covering the revolving .parts of the device protects the same from injury, and also prevents oil or other material from entering and lodging between the dome and the revolving parts and thus interfere with the perfect distribution and interruption of the current. It will be noted that the primary to the coil is controlled by the contacts 11 within the collar 10, which periodically come in contact with the roller 25. The secondary, of the coil coming through the post 2'? is conveyed to the plugs of the engine from the posts 30. The relation between the metallic contacts 11 within the collar 10, the metallic strip 17 within the frustoconeshaped member 13, and the contacts 29 is such that the primary and secondary currents are properly timed thereby.

Although the disclosure made shows the frustocone-shaped member and the sleeve made of separate pieces, the same can be made of a single piece if desired. The dome, which is funnel shape, as can be seen from Fig. 1, if desired can also be provided with a closed bottom.

ilthough the above described and illustrated device is mainly intended for the Ford automobile, it can be as efliciently used with any other four-cylinder, four-cycle engine; and while I have described the principle of operation, together with the clevice which I now consider to be the best em bodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made as are within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a timer and distributer, a rotatably mounted sleeve of insulating material, symmetrically disposed contact members carried by said sleeve, a frustocone-shaped insulating member on said sleeve, a metallic contact strip on the lateral surface of said frustocone-shaped member extending to the central part of the small base of said member, an insulating casing having a cone-shaped recess fitting snugly over the frustoconeshaped member, symmetrically disposed contact points carried by said casing and adapted to be engaged by said strip on the lateral surface of the frustocone-shaped member when the same is rotated through the medium of the sleeve, a binding post carried by said casing and in engagement with the extension of the strip, a second binding post associated with the casing, a swinging arm carried by said post within the casing, means for maintaining said swinging arm in contact with the sleeve, whereby the contacts carried by the sleeve will consecutively engage said arm, and means for turning said casing on the frustocone member.

2. In a timer and distributer, a vertical shaft, an insulating sleeve carried by the shaft and mounted to rotate therewith, symmetrically disposed contacts carried by said sleeve in engagement with the shaft, an insulating frustocone-shaped member engaging the upper part of the sleeve, said member being adapted to rotate with said sleeve, a metallic strip on the lateral surface of said frustocone-shaped member, said metallic strip extending to the central part of the smaller base of said frustocone-shaped member, an insulating dome having a coneshaped recess fitting over the frustoconeshaped member, resilient means maintaining the engagement between said dome and frustocone-shaped member, symmetrically disposed contact points carried by said dome and adapted to be engaged by the strip when the frustocone-shaped member is rotated, a binding post in the top of the dome in contact with the strip portion in the smaller base of the frustocone-shaped memher, a second binding post projecting through the lateral surface of the dome, a swinging arm carried by said second binding post within the dome adjacent the contacts in the sleeve, and a coil spring for maintaining said arm against the sleeve so that the contacts therein will engage the arm when the sleeve is rotated, said dome having means whereby the same can be turned on the frustocone-shaped member, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a timer and distributer, a rotatably mounted insulating member having a frustocone-shaped head, a dome of insulating material fitting over said member and having a cone-shaped recess fitting snugly over the frustocone-shaped head, a resilient member maintaining the engagement of the dome with said head, a metallic strip car ried by said head, contact points carried by said dome and adapted to be engaged by said strip intermittently when the member is rotated, a binding post in the top of the dome engaging the strip, a second binding post carried by the dome, an arm, associated with said binding post and mounted to swing to and from said member, means for maintaining said arm in contact with said member, symmetrically disposed contacts carried by said member below the head adapted to engage said arm intermittently when said member is rotated, the number of contacts carried by the member and those carried by the dome being the same, and means for turning said dome on the frustocone-shaped head.

4. In a timer and distributer, a rotatably mounted insulating member having a frustocone-shaped head, an insulating, funnelshaped casing fitting over said member and engaging said head, symmetrically disposed contact points carried by said casing, 21. me-

tallic strip carried by said head and adapted to intermittently engage said contacts when I said member is rotated, a binding post in the top of the casing engaging the strip, a second binding post carried by the casing, an arm associated with the last-mentioned binding post, contact points carried by the a member below the head and adapted to engage said arm intermittently, and means for displacing the casing angularly on the member. s

5. In a device of the class described, a

I rotatably mounted distributer of insulating material in the shape of a frustocone, an insulating, funnel-shaped casing covering said distributer and engaging the same, a

resilient member maintaining the engagement between the distributer and casing, L means carried by the casing and distributer rotatably mounted distributer of insulating material inthe shape of a frustocone, an insulating dome havinga frustocone-shaped top covering said distributer, a spring maintaining the engagement between the dome and distributer, electric conductors associated with said distributer and dome and adapted to come in contact at proper intervals, and meanspreventing the rotation of the dome on the vdistributer, including means whereby said dome can be displaced angularly onsaid distributer, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7.'In a device of the class described, an

insulating casing, an insulating distributer within sald casing, means maintalnmg the engagement therebetween, a timer associated with said dlstributer in the shape of a sleeve, means for rotating sald sleeve,

a plurality of symmetrically disposed contacts carried by said sleeve and in engage ment. with said means for rotating the sleeve, a swinging arm within said casing, means for maintaining one end of said arm in engagement'with said sleeve whereby the contacts carried by said sleeve will come in engagement with said arm, a binding post carried by said casing and associated with said arm, and means carried by said casing and distributer adapted to establish contacts at predetermined intervals and in predetermined relation with the engagement of the contacts ofthesleeve with the arm.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DEXTER EDWARD MOULTON; \Vitnesses: i i

F. R. MoUL'roN, C; F. THATCHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 2 Washington, D. c, 

